EHRAF
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[edit] New eHRAF beta version (brand new, for evaluation)
From Pauline Manaka, Social Science Librarian, Oct 2. Here is the new beta test version of eHRAF with a smoother interface (comparatively speaking). Please have the students use this (Alt urls: http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/). <Beta-test version of the **eHRAF World Cultures**>. Then start with BROWSE. Please see the pdf guide for this version that I created with the class assignment in mind.
The eHRAF World Cultures is a cross-cultural database that contains information on all aspects of cultural and social life. The annually-growing eHRAF database is unique in that the information is organized by cultures and ethnic groups and the full-text sources are subject-indexed at the paragraph level. The beta version will contain 10 additional cultures.
The students might also want to fill out the survey to give Christiane Cunnar at the HRAF member services, some <feedback>: http://hraf.yale.asp.educarasurvey.com.
P.S. I have been negotiating to get remote access to the beta version. So please encourage the students to email me if they are having access from outside the UCI Libraries, with their login ids.
The current version database is called, eHRAF Collection of Ethnography and does not yet have the additional cultures. Please encourage your TA to talk to me and I can help them assist the students. We may NOT need a class visit. Thank you for your patience.
[edit] Using eHRAF? (the older version)
<eHraf> offers snippets of text from selected ethnographies using an index of topics. The acronym eHRAF stands for electronic Human Relations Area Files, to which many libraries (including UCI) subscribe. There is an <eHraf help page>, although the following may be sufficient:
BEFORE looking into the eHRAF files for ethnographic cases, PRINT the <list of SCCS societies> and keep it open on the web to check (by searching the the society name) whether any given eHRAF case corresponds to one in the SCCS. If you don't do this you cannot compare SCCS codes on a society with ethnographic cases in eHRAF. Doug's example: I took as a focus "Community", searched topics under "C" and found 621, 747 and 365. Then I used used the "Search" option for 621 or 747 or 365 plus Alorese (#89 in the SCCS list or bibliography) and eHRAF returned the link "Alorese, OF05 38 matching paragraphs in 2 documents." Clicking that link returned http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/e/ehraf/ehraf-idx?type=boolean;c=ehrafe;ocm1=621;ocm2op=or;ocm2=747;ocm3op=or;ocm3=365;op2=and;op3=and;rgn=paragraphs;owc=OF05;view=layer2 with all the text from the two sources. From these, could I could write about how it might feel to be a member of this community? Frankly, I find this kind of fragmentation of source material disconcerting. It is hard to piece together to form a coherent whole. In the SCCS we recommended consulting the entire text, primary source first, as in the SCCS bibliography option, although you need to go to the library to get the book (preferably) or journal article. Then you can use the book index to look up your topic keywords, like "community," and have all the material in a context for easy browsing. I would like your evaluations if you do use eHRAF. This was the first time I have ever consulted eHRAF and it was not very rewarding. This source is also not the same time and place as that of Cora DuBois, who wrote our Principal Source, The People of Alor. Sorry, eHRAF, but maybe the students in the class or Pauline Manaka will change my mind. - Doug 09:56, 28 September 2007 (PDT). Later I did return to look at that second source, however, The People of Alor, and did find it useful so it will be a mixed bag, depending on the source.
Once you have the ethnographic cases you want to use, MAKE SURE YOU ARE CONNECTED THROUGH VPN (in which case access is automatic, otherwise, although you will be asked to give your UCid and password, you still won't obtain access), and browse the <eHRAF topics>, list your topic numbers and the try Search using those numbers AND specifying a given culture.
You can also try <browse by cultures> but using search is better.
Social science librarian Pauline Manaka <pdmanaka [at] UCI [dot] EDU> will post additional material the wiki site on the first Tuesday of class. "If the students need my help, I will be glad to meet individually with them or at your invitation.... thanks, pauline"
Back to Human Social Complexity and World Cultures where we started.
[edit] The alternative
The alternative to using eHRAF is to find ethnographic books and articles, selected from the <SCCS ethnographic bibliography>, and then do an on-line check of whether they are available and node check out at the campus library. Just browse through the list starting on page 9, choose a time and place, then search for the name of the community or focus, and use "find", e.g., for "Alorese" (SCCS#89) in the bibliography. There we find the books and articles by Principal Authority: Cora Dubois, time-1938 place-Abui of Atimelang Village. This way to get your ethnographic materials is my preference - Doug 10:12, 28 September 2007 (PDT).
[edit] Links
Back to Human Social Complexity and World Cultures, a social science writing class, UC Irvine, School of Social Science
